Myosotis plant named ‘Baby Blue’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Myosotis  plant named ‘Baby Blue’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; early flowering habit; and numerous soft blue-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Myosotis palustris×Myosotis sylvativa.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Baby Blue’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Myosotisplant, botanically known as Myosotis palustris×Myosotis sylvativa, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Baby Blue’.

The new Myosotis is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Tuntenhausen, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram was to create new compact pot-type Myosotis cultivars withfreely branching and early flowering habit.

The new Myosotis originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 1998 of an unnamed selection of Myosotis palustris, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed selection ofMyosotis sylvativa, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. Thenew Myosotis was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the resultant progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in Tuntenhausen, Germany in 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Myosotis by terminal cuttings inTuntenhausen, Germany since 1999, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Myosotis are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Baby Blue’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Baby Blue’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Early flowering habit.    -   4. Numerous soft blue-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Myosotis differ from plants of the female parentselection primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Myosotis are more uniform in growth habit        than plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Myosotis have shorter leaves than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Myosotis have larger flowers than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   4. Plants of the new Myosotis flower earlier than plants of the        female parent selection.

Plants of the new Myosotis differ from plants of the male parentselection primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Myosotis are not as upright as plants of        the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Myosotis are less vigorous than plants of        the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Myosotis are more freely branching than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   4. Plants of the new Myosotis have darker green-colored leaves        than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Myosotis can be compared to plants of the Myosotiscultivar Anne Marie Fischer, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Tuntenhausen, Germany, plants of the new Myosotis differedfrom plants of the cultivar Anne Marie Fischer in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Myosotis were more compact than plants of        the cultivar Anne Marie Fischer.    -   2. Plants of the new Myosotis had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Anne Marie Fischer.    -   3. Plants of the new Myosotis flowered earlier than plants of        the cultivar Anne Marie Fischer.    -   4. Plants of the new Myosotis and the cultivar Anne Marie        Fischer differed in flower color as plants of the cultivar Anne        Marie Fischer had fainter blue-colored flowers.    -   5. Flowers of plants of the new Myosotis were longer lasting        than flowers of plants of the cultivar Anne Marie Fischer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Myosotis, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Myosotis.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical plant of ‘Baby Blue’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalflowers of ‘Baby Blue’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Myosotis has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however,any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif. in an outdoor nursery duringthe spring and summer under commercial production practices. Plants wereabout four weeks from planting rooted young plants when the photographsand description were taken. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from 10° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures rangedfrom 4° C. to 21° C. In the following description, color references aremade to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Myosotis palustris×Myosotis sylvativa    cultivar ‘Baby Blue’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Myosotis            palustris, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Myosotis            sylvativa, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 18 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 20 days at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form.—Compact, upright to somewhat outwardly spreading            deciduous perennial.        -   Growth habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely branching, about            ten lateral branches develop per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 13 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 23 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 8.5 cm. Diameter: About            3 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Pubescent. Color: 200B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 4 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex:            Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Pubescent; rough, coarse. Venation pattern:            Pinnate; arcuate. Color: Developing leaves, upper and lower            surfaces: 146A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 147A;            venation, 147B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 147B;            venation, 147C. Petiole length: About 1.2 cm. Petiole            diameter: About 5 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Pubescent. Petiole color, upper and lower            surfaces: 146B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single, rounded salverform flowers            arranged in axillary cymes; flowers face upright and            outward. Freely flowering habit with about 200 flower buds            and flowers per inflorescence. Flowers not fragrant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering from March            through May in Southern California. Flowers not persistent.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the            plant.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 5.5 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: 75A.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 1.2 cm. Depth: About 5 mm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl; petals fused at the base into a tube. Lobe length:            About 6 mm. Lobe width: About 5 mm. Lobe shape: Spatulate.            Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing petals, upper            surface: 97D; towards the base, 155D; ring at throat, 63B.            Developing petals, lower surface: 85B. Fully expanded            petals, upper surface: 100B; towards the base, 155D; ring at            throat, 12A; color becoming closer to 101C with development.            Fully expanded petals, lower surface: 100C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl, fused; companulate calyx. Length: About 2 mm. Width:            About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: 146A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Aspect: About 45° C. from the stem axis. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.            Aspect: About 30° C. from peduncle axis. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            five; fused with petals in tube. Anther shape: Oval. Anther            length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 12A. Pollen amount:            Scarce. Pollen color: 12A. Pistils: Quantity per flower:            Typically one. Pistil length: About 2 mm. Stigma shape:            Rounded. Stigma color: 157A. Style length: About 1 mm. Style            color: 157A. Ovary color: 144A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Myosotis have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Myosotis.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Myosotis have been observed    to tolerate high temperatures of 40° C. and are hardy to USDA Zone    8.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Myosotis plant named ‘Baby Blue’, asillustrated and described.